Martin Tideswell: More good news on way as owners chart positive way forward

IT'S been another extremely positive week for Port Vale fans, and it genuinely feels like a huge black cloud has been lifted from the club.

A terrific, hard-fought win at Aldershot has maintained the distance between us and the chasing pack and closed the gap on League Two leaders Gillingham to two points.

Heading into the festive period, Vale are still perfectly placed to maintain their promotion push.

What's more, Micky Adams now has options in midfield and up front as Ryan Burge, Kingsley James and Ben Williamson emerge as the latest players to shine in a squad who play for each other.

The addition of Liam Chilvers and then Calvin Andrew maybe wasn't what some supporters were hoping for.

However, it is clear from the names being bandied about that we are now a club who have the financial clout to bring in new faces.

We are no longer, as Norman Smurthwaite has said several times, in a "distressed state". In other words, we don't need to flog our best players to pay next month's wage bill.

As well as new players we now have a chief scout in the experienced George Foster, which makes Vale something of a rarity at League Two level.

This is a significant development in that it will give us better knowledge of opposition teams and help Adams and his staff identify potential recruits.

Off the park, things are happening quickly too.

Those awful toilets in the Railway Paddock will soon be sorted out, the catering situation is being reviewed and fans will be able to buy mini season tickets valid from January.

Interestingly, the new regime is also starting to right a few wrongs – such as ensuring those Vale fans who bought personalised bricks for the Lorne Street Stand's "wall of fame" are finally getting what they paid for.

This is all about making Vale the customer-focused business it has to be to get more bums on seats.

There is still much work to be done, but it seems everyone is pulling in the same direction now.

Having "Papa Smurf", as the chief executive has affectionately become known, at Vale Park for five days-a-week can only be a good thing.

He's not come out of retirement to waste money, and I know supporters will be pleasantly surprised by some of the announcements which will be coming out of a re-energised Vale Park in the coming weeks.